To create a QR code for a business card, choose a contact (vCard) code if you want your name, phone, email and company saved straight into someone’s phone, or a link code if you’d rather send them to a profile page you can update. Enter your details in a QR code generator, save the code as a high-resolution image, and place it on the back of the card with a clear white margin around it. Test it with two or three phones before you order a print run.
vCard code or link code? #
This is the main decision, and each has a clear trade-off.
| Contact (vCard) code | Link code | |
|---|---|---|
| What it holds | Your details themselves | A web address |
| When scanned | Offers to save the contact | Opens a web page |
| Works offline | Yes | Needs internet |
| Can be updated after printing | No | Yes, by changing the page |
| Code complexity | Denser with more fields | Simple with a short link |
| Depends on a service | No | On the page staying online |
Choose a vCard code if you want people to have your contact in their phone before you’ve finished the conversation. It works in basements, trade show halls and on planes, and it doesn’t depend on any service staying online.
Choose a link code if your details change often, if you want to show a portfolio, or if you want more than contact info on the other end. Point it at a page you control, like your own website or a profile page. If you use a “digital business card” service, check what happens to the link if you stop paying.
Our explainer on what a vCard QR code is covers the format in more detail.
How to make a vCard QR code for your business card #
With QR Handler, the Contact mode builds a standard vCard that iPhone and Android contacts apps recognize:
- Open the Create tab and choose Contact.
- Fill in your first name and last name.
- Add your phone, email, company, job title and website. Leave out anything you don’t want on the card; empty fields are left out of the code entirely.
- Tap Generate QR code.
- Pick a dark color preset if you want to match your brand.
- Save to Photos or Share it to your computer to send to your designer or printer.
The code is made on your phone and saved in your Created history, so you can find it again when you reorder cards. It doesn’t include a mailing address or a photo field, which keeps the code smaller and easier to scan. For a contact card that includes a street address or several phone numbers, you’d need a generator with more fields.
How to make a link code for your business card #
- Decide where it should go: your website, your LinkedIn profile, or a page listing your contact options.
- Use the shortest address you can. Shorter links make simpler codes that scan more easily on a small card.
- Make a Link code in a generator app or website.
- Prefer a static code that holds your real address. A dynamic code from a subscription service can stop working if the subscription lapses.
Designing the code into your card #
Size #
Business cards are scanned from close up, so the code can be small, but not too small. Leave room for the code plus its margin, keep the squares crisp, and test the printed proof, not just the file on your screen. If you store a lot of fields in a vCard, the code gets denser and needs more space to stay readable.
Margin #
QR codes need a blank border. Denso Wave, which invented the format, says a white space four modules wide is needed around the code, where a module is one of the small squares. Don’t let the code run into the card edge, a border line or a background pattern.
Color and contrast #
Dark on light works best, and Denso Wave recommends black on white. A dark brand color like navy or forest green is usually fine. Avoid light colors, gradients, metallic foil and placing the code over a photo.
A logo in the middle #
You can place a small logo in the center of a QR code because of its built-in error correction, which lets the code survive missing pieces. Keep the logo small and use the highest error correction level. QR Handler does this automatically when you add a logo. See how to add a logo to a QR code.
File format #
Send your printer the largest, sharpest image you can. A vector file (SVG or PDF) is ideal because it stays crisp at any size. If you only have a PNG, export it large and don’t let anyone scale it up from a small copy.
A label #
Add a few words next to the code, like “Scan to save my contact.” People scan more when they know what they’ll get.
Test before you print #
- Scan the code on screen with an iPhone and an Android phone.
- Check that every field lands in the right place in the new contact: name, company, title, phone, email, website.
- Print a proof at actual size on similar paper and scan it again.
- Try it in dim light and at a slight angle.
If it won’t read, our guide to a QR code not scanning covers the usual fixes: contrast, margin, size and too much data.
Frequently asked questions #
What should a business card QR code link to? #
Either your contact details directly, as a vCard code that saves to the phone, or a page you control with your contact options and work. A vCard is quicker for the person scanning; a link is easier to update.
Can I update a vCard QR code after printing? #
No. The details are stored in the code itself. If your phone number or job changes, you need a new code and new cards. A link code pointing to a page you control avoids that.
Does a business card QR code work on iPhone and Android? #
Yes. vCard is a standard contact format, and both iPhone and Android offer to save the contact when their camera reads one.
Is a QR code on a business card free? #
Yes, if you use a static code. QR codes are free to use, and Denso Wave says no license is needed. Only dynamic-code services and digital card platforms charge fees.